Labeling machine

ABSTRACT

A labeling machine having a single narrow endless can feed belt that engages the median areas of the sidewalls of the cans mounted on respective pulley assemblies with an articulated drive and supports therefor that are adjustable to different diameter cans and supported from one side of the machine, comprises pairs of rigid vertical rack and stiffening bars positioned at opposite ends of the machine, with adjustable lower and upper sets of pressure rollers for the belt. A can runway with adjustable rigid and flexible can guides. The initial portion, at the feed end of the machine, of the can runway is in the form of a narrow can runway strip for supporting the cans from below at their median sidewall areas. This, together with the narrow feed belt engagement with the upper exposed median areas of the cans enables the cans to travel and be fed over the narrow runway strip with the greater portion of the upper and lower sidewall areas of the cans uncontacted and undisturbed beyond the median contact areas by the belt and runway strip for a desired operation thereon by the labeling machine function.

United States Patent Neer Mar. 14, 1972 s41 LABELING MACHINE [57ABSTRACT lflvafllofl Clifford H- e Baltimore, Md. I A labeling machinehaving a single narrow endless can feed belt that engages the medianareas of the sidewalls of the cans [73] Ass'gnee' gg r xz zj CompanyIncorporated mounted on respective pulley assemblies with anarticulateddrive and supports therefor that are adjustable to different[22] Filed: I Dec. 28, 1966 diameter cans and supported from one side ofthe machine,

comprises pairs of rigid vertical rack and stiffening bars posi- [znAppl' 605279 tioned at opposite ends of the machine, with adjustablelower and upper sets of pressure rollers for the belt. A can runway 21CI 198/160 with adjustable rigid and flexiblecan guides. The initialpor- [51] B 8 15/ 12 tion, at the feed end of the machine, of the canrunway is in [58] Field of Search ..l56/453, 455; 198/33 R, h form f a wcan runway strip for supporting the cans from below at their mediansidewall areas. This, together with [56] w Cited the narrow feed beltengagement with the upper exposed UNITED STATES PATENTS median areas ofthe cans enables the cans to travel and be fed over the narrow runwaystrip with the greater portion of the 1,555,431 9/1925 Murphy ....l98/ Xupper and lower sidewall areas of the cans uncontacted and 1,995,3063/1935 Hesson ..'....l56/453 di b b d h di n Con a t areas by the beltand runway strip for a desired operation thereon by the labeling PrimaryExaminer-Edward A. Sroka machine f i Attomey-J. Wesley Everett andGeorge L. Brehm 7 Claims, 56 Drawing Figures l4 ls l 8 c |7- c o a V i26' T 5' 23? a G Y Q o Q I 685224 'ii me 28 22 272 I41 \24l' 391 310 aner 1----T PATENTEDMAR 14 I972 3.648 823 sum 01M 23 INVENTOR ATTORNEYPATENTEDMAR14 I912 3,648,823

SHEET 02 HF 23 I N VENTQR 677708;? H. Deer ATTORNEY PATENTEDMAR 14 1972SHEET 030F123 INVENTOR Chf/orcl nee-r MM ATTORNEY I PATENIEBMAR 14 I972SHEET 0% HF 23 ATTORNEY PATENTEDMAR 14 I972 3 648 823 SHEET 05 HF 23INVENTOR C'lffmd linear ATTORNEY PATENTEDMAR 14 I972 3, 648 82 3 SHEETas or 23 INVENTOR ATTORNEY PAIENTEDMIIRMIHTZ 3.648.828

' SHEET 070F 23 INVENT OR 45 /W/f nee? ATTORNEY PATENTEOHAR 14 I972 3.648.823 sum 08 0F 23 IN VENTOR Chi /0rd H. Nee-r BY M ATTORNEYPAIENTEDMAR 14 I972 3, 648 823 sum 09 or 23 I N VENTOR Clifford H, NearATTORNEY PATENTEUMAR 14 1972 3, 648 823 SHEEI mar 23 I N VENTOR ff Hnee-r BY M ATTORNEY PAIENTEDMAR 14 I973 SHEET 110F213 Fly/ I A INVENTORCh/ford H, flee?" ATTORNEY PAIE/NIEBHARMIHIL I 3.648.823

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6777mm! flee-r- ATTORNEY PATENTEDMAR 14 \912 SHEET 130F 23 INVENTOR 'J1% Deer ATTORNEY PAI-ENTEDHAR 14 I972 'SHEEI IQUF 23 INVENTOR ATTORNEYPAIENTEBMAR 14 I972 SHEET lSUF 23 INVENTOR C/I/fO-rd H. /7ee-r- ATTORNEYPATENTEBHAR 14 I972 sum 5 0F 23 2.00 INVENTOR C'Ward fl. l7e-r 4ATTORNEY Pmmmmmm 3,648,823

sum mar 23 INVENTOR ATTORNEY SHEET lBOF 23 PAIENTEDMAR 14 11112PATENTEDMAR 14 1912 SHEET 190F 23 508 will 544 545 E3 575 Er INVENTORATTORNEY

1. In a can labeling machine having a feed belt engaging the cans fromabove to feed the cans through the machine, and can feed belt pulleys atopposite ends of the machine for supporting the belt, overhangingsupporting means for the pulleys and feed belt supported from one sideof the machine, means positioned at opposite ends of the machine foradjustably raising or lowering the overhanging supporting means for thepulleys and belt to provide for feeding cans of different diametersthrough the machine, the overhanging supporting means for the feed beltand pulleys comprises overhanging bearing extensions having free endsand supported ends, a primary support for each of the supported endscomprising rack bars fixedly engaged thereto at their upper ends andadjustably supported at their lower ends, means for equally andsimultaneously raising or lowering the rack bars and their overhangingextensions, comprising a lower fixed guide bearing for each of the rackbars spaced below the supported ends of the extensions.
 2. The labelingmachine and oVerhanging supporting means as claimed in claim 1 in whichthe supported ends of the overhanging extensions have sliding engagementwith supplemental stiffening and strengthening bars for the overhangingextensions and having their lower ends fixedly positioned in supportingmeans therefor spaced below the supported ends of the extensions, thesaid supported ends of the extensions having stiffening guide andbearing means for sliding engagement with the upper portions of thesupplemental stiffening and strengthening bars for purposes ofsupplementally preventing sag in the overhanging extensions due to theweight load towards the free ends of the extensions.
 3. In a canlabeling machine having a feed belt engaging the cans from above to feedthe cans through the machine, and can feed belt pulleys at opposite endsof the machine for supporting the belt, overhanging supporting means forthe pulleys and feed belt supported from one side of the machine, meanspositioned at opposite ends of the machine for adjustably raising orlowering the overhanging supporting means for the pulleys and belt toprovide for feeding cans of different diameters through the machine, theoverhanging supporting means comprises overhanging extensions positionedat opposite ends of the machine for supporting the feed belt and feedbelt pulleys, articulated driving means for the feed belt and feed beltpulleys comprising operatively joined articulated segments of sprocketgears and sprocket chains with articulated supporting frames therefor,the said articulated driving means having interengaging structuralelements to operatively conform to different heights and to drive thefeed belt pulleys and feed belt at various heights or adjustedpositions.
 4. In a can labeling machine having a feed belt engaging thecans from above to feed the cans through the machine, and can feed beltpulleys at opposite ends of the machine for supporting the belt,overhanging supporting means for the pulleys and feed belt supportedfrom one side of the machine, means positioned at opposite ends of themachine for adjustably raising or lowering the overhanging supportingmeans for the pulleys and belt to provide for feeding cans of differentdiameters through the machine, the supporting means for the overhangingextensions at opposite ends of the machine comprises means forinterconnecting the said supporting means at opposite ends of themachine for equally and simultaneously raising or lowering the saidsupporting means and independent means for fixedly positioning theraised or lowered positions of the supporting means comprising arotatable and clampable disc member positioned between a fixed abuttingclamping surface for the disc and an adjustably mounted and movableclamping member for applying or releasing clamping pressure against thedisc positioned between the abutting clamp surface and the movableclamping member for fixing the adjusted position of the said supports.5. In a can labeling machine having a feed belt engaging the cans fromabove to feed the cans through the machine, and can feed belt pulleys atopposite ends of the machine for supporting the belt, overhangingsupporting means for the pulleys and feed belt supported from one sideof the machine, means positioned at opposite ends of the machine foradjustably raising or lowering the overhanging supporting means for thepulleys and belt to provide for feeding cans of different diametersthrough the machine, the overhanging supporting means for the feed beltpulleys and feed belt comprises overhanging extensions, each having oneof their ends supported and their respective opposite ends being free ofsupport, the said pulleys and feed belt being carried by the free endsof the said extensions, means for raising or lowering the pulleys andfeed belt with their respective supporting extensions, a motor fordriving one of said feed belt pulleys and means for connecting the motorto the driven feed belt pulley, comprising articulated driving meanshaVing articulated joined segments of sprockets and sprocket chains witharticulated supporting frames therefor, to drive the belt pulley atvarious raised or lowered adjusted positions, for purposes of providinga power drive for the belt pulleys and belt that is self-adapting tovarious heights for feeding cans of different diameters through themachine.
 6. In a can labeling machine having a feed belt engaging thecans from above to feed the cans through the machine, and can feed beltpulleys at opposite ends of the machine for supporting the belt,overhanging supporting means for the pulleys and feed belt supportedfrom one side of the machine, means positioned at opposite ends of themachine for adjustably raising or lowering the overhanging supportingmeans for the pulleys and belt to provide for feeding cans of differentdiameters through the machine, the cans are conveyed through the machineby the feed belt and pulleys between spaced parallel guide bars on theopposite sides of the machine, having adjustable interconnectedactuating means for simultaneously and uniformly increasing ordecreasing the can guiding space between the can guide bars, comprisingoutwardly extending arms with each of their inner ends fixedly attachedand positioned near each of the opposite ends of the respective guidebars on each side of the machine with each of their respective outerends pivotally engaged to one arm of a pivotally mounted bellcrankmember, each of said guide bars being actuated by one pair of saidbellcranks, the respective bellcranks of each pair being separatelypositioned at opposite ends of the machine and having inwardly directedarm members, the said arm members of each pair being interconnected,means for actuating the bellcranks and guide bars simultaneously anduniformly comprising transverse connecting means between oppositelypositioned bellcranks at one end of the machine for adjustablypositioning the guide bars to different sized cans and means for fixedlypositioning the adjusted position of the actuating means and the canspacing between the guide bars.
 7. In a can labeling machine having afeed belt for feeding cans through the machine, means for positioningthe belt for contacting the median areas of the side walls of the canswhile being fed through the machine, means for supporting and guidingthe cans while being fed through the machine, the supporting meanscomprising a lower runway and an upper runway for the cans, means forapplying yielding pressure to the belt comprising separate sets ofspring loaded rollers, certain of said rollers having means foradjusting their respective spring pressure, the belt contacting pointsof the rollers of each set being on different horizontal planes tosubstantially compensate for the differences in the perspective heightsbetween the lower and upper runways for the cans and the feed beltduring normal operation of the machine, means for supporting and drivingthe belt comprising pulleys positioned at each end of the machine, anarticulated drive for one of the pulleys for driving the pulley when atvarious predetermined heights from the can runways, means for supportingand raising and lowering the pulleys and belt positioned at each end ofthe machine, means for interconnecting the said end supports and theirraising and lowering means for simultaneously raising and lowering theend supports for the pulleys and belt, the end supports comprisingoverhanging extensions projecting over the runways having unsupportedfree ends and supported ends, each comprising an attached, movable andactuated toothed rack bar for moving the extensions vertically by thesaid raising the lowering means and a fixed stationary bar fixedlysupported at its lower end, with its upper end having sliding engagementwith a bearing positioned in each of the supported ends of theoverhanging extensions.